The town where Puss found out he was a wanted criminal was still far from San Ricardo.
Fortunately, he was already on his way to check if everything was alright in his hometown, which had moved the trip forward. But now, knowing his wanted poster was out there, he quickened his pace even more, eager to return and make sure everything was truly okay.
Although he was confident that nothing should have happened, he still wanted to be sure.
So, just ten days after leaving, Puss returned once again to that same bridge.
But something unexpected was there.
On the bridge, a familiar face stood, being whipped by the desert winds and sands, as if waiting for something.
And when he saw Puss approaching, his dust-covered face quickly lit up, and he anxiously waved his hand.
It was Guard Rodrigo, one of Puss's acquaintances, someone he knew well.
Guiding Tornado closer, he quickly rode up, and before the horse had even fully stopped, he leaped from the saddle and landed in front of the guard.
"Señor Rodrigo! Did something happen to the city?!" He asked anxiously.
But instead of answering, the guard let out a relieved sigh.
"Whew! It's good to see you're safe! Everyone was so worried." He said, smiling at Puss.
But Puss didn't want those words—he wanted to know the situation. So, instead of responding, he stared intensely at him.
Rodrigo didn't seem to take it too seriously and looked far more at ease.
"Don't worry, the city is fine. It's just that all of us were concerned about you." He said, smiling.
Puss was slightly surprised, and with some difficulty, he still asked, his heart feeling a little heavy.
"You… didn't hear anything about me?" He asked hoarsely.
His fear was that even his hometown might believe he was the kind of person who would hurt others for his own gain.
"Of course, we did!" Rodrigo looked at Puss with anger.
Puss clenched his fists slightly upon seeing that look.
"How could they slander you like this, Señor Puss?! Those ungrateful bastards!" The guard said, gritting his teeth in rage.
Puss looked at him, stunned.
Rodrigo saw Puss's expression and seemed to understand what he was thinking, finding it almost amusing.
"Señor Puss, what are you thinking? The whole city knew you went to San Riqueza at the request of one of its citizens. Even though we don't understand what happened, we know you would never harm that city on purpose. And ever since the wanted posters arrived, everyone has been very worried about you." He explained seriously, though he found Puss's worries somewhat silly.
Puss's clenched fists slowly loosened upon hearing this, and he sighed in relief.
"Whew! That's good. I'll clear everything up for everyone later. Guard Rodrigo, I'll go ahead first—I need to speak with Mama, Humpty, and the Comandante." He said his farewell and prepared to mount Tornado.
"No! Wait, Señor Puss, you can't go!" Rodrigo's eyes widened, and he immediately stopped him.
"Huh?! What happened?" Puss raised his head and stared at him, confused, his brows furrowed.
"Señor Puss, the Comandante sent me here to wait for you, in case you returned!" He quickly said.
"Why?" Puss asked, growing more serious. Things didn't seem as simple as he had thought.
"We don't know what's going on, but things have escalated very quickly. Your name has spread across nearly all of Spain overnight, and the kingdom's guards have been sent to San Ricardo to wait for you in case you returned—to arrest you for being too dangerous!" Guard Rodrigo revealed bitterly.
Puss was stunned by this and furrowed his brows even more.
'This is something very well planned. I wouldn't believe it even if I were paid to—the fact that my name spread so fast has to be connected to the same culprit who sullied it in the first place.' Puss gritted his teeth.
Then, he waved his hand, unfazed.
"No matter, a few small soldiers aren't even a warm-up for me, Puss in Boots." He said with determination and prepared to go anyway.
But then, Rodrigo bitterly said something that made Puss's heart clench.
"Señor Puss, those are the Comandante's orders. You cannot return to San Ricardo. An ultimatum has been issued—if San Ricardo offers you shelter, it will be considered treason against the crown. I'm sorry. I know you may be worried about the orphanage, but right now, you are the greatest danger to them… and to all of us. You must not enter." He said and stood in front of Puss, blocking his way onto the bridge, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.
Despite trembling, he stood firm. Puss was too great a risk—he could not fail in his duty as a protector of the city.
But what he didn't know was that this action hurt Puss more than any sword ever could.
Puss stood there, staring at him in disbelief.
He had thought about many things on his way back—being misunderstood and expelled, or being understood and welcomed, protected.
What he had never expected was to be understood… and still be cast out.
Even though he could understand them, his heart still couldn't accept being abandoned the moment things turned dire.
And that hurt… it hurt far more than he could have imagined.
Puss slowly lowered his head, his hat covering his face.
"I see…" His rough voice sounded.
Those calm words, instead of furious ones, made Rodrigo's heart tremble.
Then, under the guard's gaze, Puss silently turned around, leaped onto his horse's saddle, and simply said,
"Let's go, Tornado… this is not a place for us…"
Guard Rodrigo trembled upon hearing those words. Then, under his gaze, the cat on horseback slowly disappeared into the desert sands.
The only thing left for Rodrigo were the memories of that solitary figure riding away.
The strength in his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, kneeling. Tears streamed down his face in an endless flow.
"I'm sorry, Señor Puss… we are not worthy of your kindness…" He murmured and then cried bitterly there for a long, long time.
When Rodrigo finally managed to compose himself a little and gather some of his strength, he weakly stood up and slowly crossed the bridge back to the city.
The city carried a tense atmosphere—people were all worried about their hero, who had suddenly become a criminal overnight. But they were even more concerned about the kingdom's soldiers and the words they had brought.
So, many couldn't help but be a little selfish, hoping that Puss wouldn't return just yet. Others were ready to fight for him immediately. And still, some remained unsure of what to do.
What the townspeople didn't know was that the city's guards had already made a decision for them.
As for Puss, who had already left, he had no idea that no one in the city had given up on him. Everyone was doing their best to spread word of his innocence. The comandante's cousin was leveraging his business contacts, regular citizens were sending letters to their acquaintances, and even the guards were writing to the governor — all in an effort to clear Puss's name.
Guard Rodrigo did not look at these people. With a heavy and sorrowful expression, he made his way to the barracks.
Crossing through and requesting permission, he finally stood before the city's commander.
The commander, sitting behind his desk, looked up as Rodrigo entered. Seeing his heavy face and red eyes, he remained silent—he already understood everything.
Only the flickering flame of a candle gave a little life to that closed, dark office at that moment, but its dim light only made the commander's face seem even more grim and lonely.
After some time in silence, Guard Rodrigo was the first to take the initiative to speak, though his voice was low.
"Comandante, I am leaving the city guard." He said, almost in a whisper.
Rodrigo no longer felt worthy of calling himself a city guard after reaching for his sword's hilt to drive out the hero—the same kind, innocent boy he had watched grow up. That wasn't what a real guard, the kind he had always aspired to be, should ever do.
"Hmm…" The commander merely nodded in acknowledgment and remained silent.
He lowered his gaze to his desk, where a small, dull rapier lay.
It was the first real training blade Puss had ever obtained—with the commander's help. But over time, it had lost its usefulness, though it had always been kept by the commander.
"Haah… We are not worthy of such a hero. We could not even let him return to what should have been his home when he needed it most. When the world turned against him, we cast him out of the only place he thought was a safe harbor… We are not worthy of Puss in Boots." He said slowly, with bitterness, and a single tear managed to escape his eye.
Crack!
The commander flinched at the sudden sound of dishes shattering on the floor and looked up.
There, he saw Imelda, staring at him in disbelief, tears beginning to spill from her eyes.
"W-what have you done?!" She asked, trembling, looking at him in horror.
Imelda was the only person allowed to enter the commander's office unannounced due to the relationship they had developed over the years. But fate seemed to have played its hand cruelly—she had come at that exact moment to bring him a meal and talk about Puss. Yet, what she overheard left her shocked.
The commander stood up, bewildered.
He quickly stepped out from behind the desk and reached out to her.
"Wait, Imelda… I-I, I did what had to be done for the good of the city!" He tried to embrace her while stammering out an explanation.
But she slapped his hand away, pushing him back in fury.
"Do not touch me! Y-you sent him away, didn't you…? You banished him from his own home!" She said, trembling, her voice filled with pain.
"It was too dangerous—you have to understand!" He tried to reason, but Imelda was no ordinary woman.
She was a mother.
"Understand?! Understand that you cast out my son?! That you exiled him even knowing he was innocent?! Even knowing he was alone and in need of someone to lean on?!" She shouted in anger, her fists trembling.
"Or should I understand that you are not the man I thought you were?! That your justice, which protects the innocent, that the man who would fight against any injustice, is nothing more than a disguise for a coward?!" Imelda demanded fiercely, her eyes red from crying and rage.
She was a kind woman. But above all, she was a mother.
Her furious words carried no kindness—only raw hatred for those who had harmed her son. Her heart was heavy with sorrow. The news that her little one was now a wanted criminal had nearly made her faint, and her nerves were stretched to the breaking point. And now, knowing he had been cast out even from his hometown, her heart felt like it might shatter completely.
After saying those words, she stared at the commander, who remained silent the entire time.
She looked at him with bitterness.
"You can't even say anything?" She asked in a low tone. And upon receiving no response, she simply turned and walked away.
The commander could only watch her leave, his face filled with loneliness.
At that moment, the once-strong commander, who had never feared anything and had always stood firm in his justice, for the first time, began to doubt himself.
As he watched Imelda's figure disappear from his sight, he returned to his desk and sank into his chair, drained of strength.
The commander then looked at Rodrigo, who had witnessed the entire scene.
He then gave him a weak order.
"Send some guards to keep watch—she will likely try to take a horse and go after him. But she does not know how to ride and will never reach him. She will only get lost and die in the desert. After you take care of that, just turn in your things, and you may leave the guard." The commander issued his command and then lowered his head, preventing anyone from seeing his face.
As Rodrigo left the room, the only sound that could be heard in the silent office was the soft patter of water droplets falling onto paper.